Grinder for reaper and mower knives



(No Model.)

W. A. WHITE. GRINDER FOR. REAPER AND MOWER KNIVES.

Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

q wwwooeo UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM A. IVIIITE, OF GLASTONBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE\VILLIAMS BROTHERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CONNECTICUT.

GRINDER FOR REAPER AND MOWER KNIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming partlof Letters Patent No.4=3 1,123, dated August12, 1890.

Application filed September 20, 1888. Renewed February 24, 1890. SerialNo. M1394. (N model.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. WHITE, of Glastonbury, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain 5 Improvementsin Grinders for Reaper and Mower Knives, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a machine for grinding the scalloped knives orsickle-bars of mowing and reapin machines; audit consists in thecombination, with a grindstone and gearing for rotating, the same, of apeculiarlyconstructed rest to support the knife and mechanism forautomatically vibrating the same. In practice it has been found that theknives can be most advantageously sharpened by submitting them to theaction of a flat rotary stone and moving their edges to and fro Ithereon in the direction of their length. My rest is peculiarlyconstructed to the end that it may properly support and present to thestone knives differing in form and. shape, so that the stone will act onthe cutting-edges in the manner above described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of mymachine. Fig. 2 is a top'plan view of the knife-clamp and the devicesfor supporting and adjusting the same. Referring to the drawings, Arepresents the rotary stone secured rigidly to the overhanging end of ahorizontal shaft 13, which is supported in bearings on the upper end ofa rigid standard C, firmly bolted to a base board or plate D. The shai't of the stone is provided with a beveled pinion E, which receivesmotion from a larger beveled gear F, rigidly attached to a horizontalshaft G, which is seated at right'angles to the axis of the stone inbearings formed on the upper end of the standard C. This driving-shaft Gis provided at one end with a hand-crank H, by which to turn it, andprovided at the opposite end with a short crank I for the purpose ofvibrating the knife rest or support, as hereinafter explained.

J represents a standard seated on a ribbed or grooved plate K on thebase-board, secured by a bolt L so that it may be moved to and from theperiphery of the stone and fixed rigidly in position. This standard Jhas its upper portion slot-ted or divided vertically to ened in anyrequired position.

receive an upright arm or post M, which is mounted therein on ahorizontal pivot N, and provided atits lower end with a rigid arm N,extending toward the stone. The free end of this arm is bent at rightangles and provided With a slot m. A pitman O, mounted at its upper endon the crank I, is attached at its lower end to a thumb-screw a, passingthrough the slotted end of the arm I so that when the crank-shaft isturned to rotate the stone it acts through the intermediate parts togive a constant vibration to the post M, moving its upper end to andfrom the edge of the stone. The slot-ted end of the arm N is inclinedfrom the horizontal, so that by changing the point of attachment of thepitman,as permitted by the slot, the upper end of the standard M iscaused to stop in its approach at a greater or less distance from thestone. This feature is not claimed as of my invention.

To the upper end of the vibrating standard M, which is forked, as shown.to receive it, I connect by horizontal journals P a plate Q. This platehas an extended upper surface, as shown in the two figures, to receiveand support an overlying 'plate or arm R, which is connected thereto atthe end nearest the stone by a vertical pivot S. The rear or outer endof the plate R contains a grooved slot r, through which a thumb-screw rrises from the plate Q, this arrangement permitting the plate R to beturned horizontally and fast- Set-screws r are passed through oppositesides of the plate R into the ends of the slot to serve as stops 5 tolimit the horizontal movement of the plate, so that the parts havingbeenadjusted with reference to a particular form of cutter the plate maybe thrown quickly to the right or left and stopped at the desired point.The inner or forward end of the plate R is enlarged in the form of avertical disk to receive and support a corresponding disk on the side ofa plate or rest T, the two parts being connected bya central horizontalpivot t, which permits the part T to be rocked or tipped right or left.

The plate R is extended laterally and provided with an upright curvedslot 1, through which a set-screw t is extended from the I plate T forthe purpose of locking the latter in different positions. Set-screwsWare passed through the edges of the plate R into opposite ends of theslot r to limit the rocking action of the plate T. These screws, beingproperly adjusted, permit the plate to be tipped instantly from a givenangle of inclination in one direction to a corresponding angle in theopposite direction.

The plate T has outreaching arms t suitably formed to underlie andsustain the knife or sickle bar U. Vhen laid in place thereontransversely of the stone, the knife-bar is confined by an overlyingplate t, loosely connected to the plate T by vertical bolts t. Acam-lever t, acting on a pivot z) and beneath a bar i held by the boltst serves to force the clamp-plate downward, and thus confine the knifefirmly between it and the underlying support. This particulararrangementof the clamp-plate and lever are not claimed as of my invention.

In making use of my device the knife is confined in the clamp, as abovedescribed, after which the plate Risturned eitherto the right or theleft and so adjusted as to present one edge of the teeth in linesparallel,or practically so, with the plane in which the wheel revolves.Thereafter the plate T is turned on its horizontal pivot until thebeveled edge of the tooth is presented in a horizontal position, so thatit will lie flatly on the face of the stone. In this condition of theparts the pivots P permit the rest and the knife to swing vertically, sothat the knife rests with its entire weight upon the upper edge of thestone. If, now, the machine is set in motion, the stone will be revolvedand act against the edge of one of the teeth, while at the same time thevibration of the standard M will carry the knife to and from the stonein such manner that the latter will grind back and forth along the edgeof the tooth and in the direction of its length. After the edge of onecutter is ground the clamp is released, the knife-bar advanced edgewiseto present the edge of the next tooth, and so on repeatedly, until allthe cutters or knives are sharpened in one edge, after which the plate Ris swung horizontally to its opposite extreme and the plate T tippedvertically until the knife-bar inclines in th opposite direction. v

I am aware that upright vibrating stand-' ards have been connectedthrough horizontal and vertical pivots to knife-supporting clamps invarious forms and under various arrangements; but I find that in orderto adjust the parts to receive knives varying in size and in the angleof their cutting-edges and to present them properly to the stone it isnecessary to have the various pivots located in the relations hereinshown.

It is to be observed thatin my structure the standard M swings upon ahorizontal pivot far below the top of the stone; that the other parts ofthe rest are freely connected to the upper end of this standard by ahorizontal pivot located at a considerable distance from the stone; thatthe vertical pivot S is located at an intermediate pointbetwcen thestandard and the stone, and that the knife rest or support has itshorizontal axis located practically in line with the plane in which theknife is held.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a grinder forreaper and mower knives, the grindstone, the horizontal shaft geared tothe stone, as shown, and provided with handcrank H and crank I, incombination with the standard M, mounted on a horizontal pivot andproi'ided with the outreaching arm N, the pitman connecting said armwith the crank I, the plate Q, connected by a horizontal pivot to theupper end of standard M, the plate R, united by a vertical pivot to theplate Q, the fastening-screw for the plate R, and the knife restorsupport T, connected by a horizontal pivot to the end of plate R, andthe clampingscrew to hold said plate '1 in position.

2. In a grinder for mower and reaper knives, and in combination with thegrindstone, the vibrating standard M, mounted on ahorizontal axis nearits lower end, the plate Q, connected by a horizontal pivot to the upperend of the standard, the plate R, connected by a vertical pivot to theplate Q, the two setscrews r? to arrest the motion of the plate R on itspivot, the fastening-screw r, and the knife-supporting clamp connectedby a horizontal pivot to. the forward end of plate R.

3. In a grinder for mower and reaper knives,

and in combination with the grindstone, the

vibrating standard M, mounted on a horizontal pivot near its lower end,the plate Q, connected by a horizontal pivot to the upper end of thestandard, the plate K, connected by a vertical pivot to plate Q, theknife-support T, connected by a horizontal pivot to plate R, the twoadjustable stop-screws r to limit the motion of the knife-support uponits pivot, and a fastening-screw t to hold the same in position.

In testimony whereof 'I hereunto set my hand, this 5th day of September,1888, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

\VM. A. \VI-IITE.

YVitnesses:

M. T. RUssELL, WILLIAM S. GosLEE.

